Janine Gutierrez uncontrollably burst into tears hours before her birthday as she was reminded of how her late grandmother Pilita Corrales would have celebrated the occasion with her.
Gutierrez, who turned 36 last Oct. 2, showed moments from her birthday trip to Africa with her actor boyfriend Jericho Rosales, through her Instagram page on Tuesday, Oct. 7.
In the caption, the actress narrated, ‘We were having dinner the day before my birthday and when Echo said happy birthday because it was already midnight in Manila, out of the blue, I couldn’t stop crying.’
‘I could hear mamita’s voice in my head singing happy birthday and it just hit me,’ she continued, referring to Corrales. ‘She would always sing happy birthday in her full singing voice and it just kept playing in my head and I really couldn’t stop crying over my seafood like a baby. I don’t know what happened, but I guess that’s grief.’
Gutierrez then disclosed that her yaya, whom she and her siblings treat as their second mother, has been seeking treatment for an undisclosed illness-which made her think twice about leaving for her trip.
‘My siblings said I should go and it would be okay. And then the day before I leave, as I’m about to pack, I find this old letter from mamita as I get my last box of things from my old condo,’ she wrote, showing a photo of the handwritten letter.
‘I don’t even know when this was from but I also kept crying when I found it cos it felt like a message from her saying I should go. Don’t worry,’ she continued.
The actress nonetheless said that she is grateful to be blessed with another year and with people who have been nothing but supportive.
‘It’s been the toughest year but I’m just filled with gratitude for everyone who’s held mine and my family’s hand throughout everything,’ she stated. ‘I’m so grateful for my family and Echo and my friends and my work families and all of you who’ve been there.’
‘I’m so grateful for this trip. It turned out amazing,’ she added. ‘So here’s a dump from my actual birthday. Hindi na ko umiyak. Life is beautiful, just keep showing up.’
Corrales, the mother of Janine’s dad Monching Gutierrez, died last April at the age of 85.